When Hope is Lost
by BML Hillen-Keene
Summary: Jack had been chosen as a Guardian before Pitch came back and refused. Pitch them whammied the Guardians and won. Now it is up to Jack to claw back the belief's of the children for the Guardians, even though he doesn't quite know where to start or who he's facing. His only help a small injured Bunny rabbit who can't possibly be the actual Easter Bunny... Right?


_This is it! I mean it this time. No more Mini Bunny fics! No more Kink Meme! I draw the line! I have done terrible things to my little Bunny in this one (though the injuries are only mentioned after the fact)._

_Basic prompt was that Jack had been chosen as a Guardian before Pitch came back and refused. Pitch them whammied the Guardians and won. Bunny managed to escape but was injured, leaving him unable to speak or warn Jack of the danger when he is found by Jack (of course). Now it is up to Jack to claw back the belief's of the children for the Guardians, even though he doesn't quite know where to start or who he's facing. His only help a small injured Bunny rabbit who can't possibly be the actual Easter Bunny... Right?_

_I bloody wish I did own this because then I could make other people write these fics, lol._

Easter Eggs

Sometimes Jack thought there must be something more to the little rabbit he had rescued from the snow. He didn't know quite what, but there was sometimes an intelligence lurking in those serious green eyes that Jack couldn't shake off as normal. He had carefully named the rabbit Bunny because the black markings reminded him of the weird designs sported by the Easter Kangaroo, and if the name offended the little creature he had yet to make his displeasure known; and if there was one thing his little animal friend could do, it was let him know when he was displeased.

He watched Bunny hop slowly and lopsidedly to a tuft of grass. Bunny's leg had been ripped to shreds when Jack had found him, whatever animal had managed to get hold of him, had done a number on him that was for sure. Jack was almost sure the leg had been broken, but he couldn't be sure, but even if it had not been, the sheer state of his leg would have left him completely unable to use it anyway. That; the torn ear and the deep teeth marks around his throat made Bunny a rather sorry sight to behold.

Turning his attention back to his task he focused a bit more energy into what he was making, a crystalline ice egg. He'd been practicing for weeks. He'd been toying with the idea since Christmas, when he had watched, with growing horror as the children had raced downstairs on Christmas morning, only to be greeted by empty spaces beneath the Christmas tree.

Bunny had buried himself in Jack's hood for the whole day and shivered. Jack could only imagine how cold he must have felt to touch. Anger always made him colder, and he had been furious. Furious at Santa, at the Guardians in general, who had, for some reason he could not begin to fathom, had abandoned the children.

He didn't like to think that something had happened, though in his heart of hearts he knew it had. The Guardians were stupid, moronic, reclusive idiots, but they had never failed before, never disappeared so completely. He couldn't help the prickle that maybe he had somehow tipped some invisible scale and done this by refusing to join them.

He'd been angry at the time, angry at them, the moon and himself. Angry that they'd think he's want to become like them, hiding away and thinking up new ways to bride kids. Angry that the Moon had just decided that he was to be a Guardian, without so much as a by your leave, after leaving him alone for 300 years! Angry at himself for getting upset by the words Bunny, the real Bunny, the Guardian Bunny, had said, and angry that he'd goaded him to say it.

But now was not the time to think about it, or worry. He had things he needed to do. Taking is inspiration from his pet; he had decided that since (for whatever reason) the Guardians were not doing their jobs, then he would just have to do it for them. First off he was going to play Easter Bunny.

The eggs he was making weren't perfect, but they didn't need to be, he just had to find some way to bring back the kids smiles. Not even his snow days and "Happy Flakes" seemed to be making an impact anymore, and he was starting to get really worried.

"What do you think?" he held up his newest creation, calling Bunny's attention to the egg in his outstretched hand.

Bunny did his lopsided hop again and sniffed at Jack's effort, nose crinkling. He looked like he was giving it a critical examination and Jack bit back a smile, not wanting to receive another nip to his fingers like he had the last time he had laughed at Bunny. Bunny's mouth opened and a look of consternation crossed his furry face, like he was trying to speak, before he dropped his front paws to the ground and rubbed his head tiredly against Jack's hand.

"That bad huh?" he teased gently, setting the egg down to lift the rabbit. Sometimes he was absolutely certain there was something more to his rabbit, but he couldn't quite put his finger on what. He gave Bunny's good ear a scratch before lifting him higher to let him rest on his shoulder. He scrambled for a moment before Jack gently pushed his limp leg up far enough for him to drag it up and turn himself around to curl, as he normally did, in the curve between Jack's shoulder and neck, his back legs dropping down into the hood so if he fell back he wouldn't tumble down Jack's back.

"If you want," he continued conversationally, "You can play Easter Bunny." He felt Bunny curl up a little tighter, nose burrowing into Jack's neck. "Well, it's not like I'd be much good at it. I don't think the ears would suit me." Bunny gave him a nip and he reached up to give him another scratch. "Nah, you're right, all the kids would be expecting a Kangaroo. It's a sad day you know; when a Kangaroo pretends he's a giant Rabbit. Talk about confusing the kids!"

He grinned as a paw batted at his ear, but the grin faded a little when he returned to his task, and his mind wandered a little.

What had happened to Bunny and the other Guardians?

And whatever it was… could he have stopped it?


End file.
